Show ContentsBruenn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The region that comprises the modern state of Austria is the ancient homeland of the Bruenn family. Austria, which was originally home to a Celtic people, was conquered by the Roman Empire in about 15 BC. Following the fall of Rome, Austria was repeatedly invaded by barbarian tribes, such as the Vandals, Visigoths, and Huns, who swept in from the east. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the Alemanni, Avars and Slavs settled Austria. The Avars were defeated in 785 by the Frankish emperor Charlemagne, who set up the East Mark, which later became known as the Österreich. Austria was ruled by the Babenburger dynasty until 1278, when they were succeeded by the Hapsburg dynasty, which ruled Austria until the 20th century.

Early Origins of the Bruenn family

The surname Bruenn was first found in Austria and Tyrol, where the family contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation and would later play a large role in the political conflicts of the area. The family branched into many houses, some of which acquired estates and manors throughout the surrounding regions, where they played significant roles in the social and political affairs. The oldest and most prominent branch was known as Brunner (Prunner) von Vasoltsberg. They were members of the Styrian nobility from as early as 1363. The progenitor is believed to be one "Heinrich," a relative of Count Eberhard zu Wallsee, who lived around 1363. Of his direct descendants, Colomann Brunner was Privy Councillor to the Austrian Emperor around 1566.

Early History of the Bruenn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bruenn research. Another 145 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1380, 1410, 1531, 1571, 1745, 1840 and 1915 are included under the topic Early Bruenn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bruenn Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Bruenn include Brunner, Bruner, Bruenner, Bruener, Breunner, Breuner, Bruenn and many more.

Early Notables of the Bruenn family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Bruenn were Conrad Brunner (died 1410), a Swiss Benedictine monk, he was abbot of the monastery at Muri in today's Canton of Aargau (1380-death), joined the order and in 1380, elected abbot, first head of...
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bruenn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bruenn family

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Bruenn or a variant listed above: Jacob Brunner, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1728. Heinrich Bruner came to Philadelphia in 1731; Francis Bruenner landed in Philadelphia in 1840; Julia Breiner, aged 34, who arrived at Ellis Island, in 1907.


Contemporary Notables of the name Bruenn (post 1700) +

  • Thomas E. Bruenn, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Connecticut State Senate 13th District, 2011 1


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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